Oasis Path©(English Version)BOOK 1 OASIS SAGA

Part 26.

We ran until we reached the cabin door, and as soon as we entered, a flurry of images crossed my mind: my parents, the school, distant classmates, and Alex. They all intertwined in a chaotic dance in my head. Each thought was like a fragment of a confusing puzzle I tried to decipher. Dizziness transformed into an intense headache, and despite Alex turning on the lights, my eyes burned, and I could barely see.

Fatigue descended like a heavy blanket over my shoulders. My legs began to waver, and the effort to stay on my feet became increasingly challenging. My thoughts blurred, and I could barely follow Alex’s conversation. I tried to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat.

My left hand went numb, and when I tried to touch Alex to warn him, my world went black.

I lost consciousness.

The awakening was distressing. A sharp pain hammered my throat, as if dealing with the worst of colds. My eyes resisted opening fully, and when they did, they faced intense burning. Every attempt at movement sent waves of pain through my body, as if every muscle vehemently protested.

With effort, I searched for Alex with my gaze, and what I saw shook me. Alex had his head bowed, unaware of my awakening. I tried to say his name with a hoarse voice as I attempted to sit up.

“Alex?”

“I have to get that butterfly out of you now!” he exclaimed through gritted teeth, looking up.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” I asked, managing to sit up.

Alex’s face showed intense physical pain, his skin pearled in sweat. I scanned his body for the source of the pain he reflected. A white cloth, now stained with what seemed to be blood, was tightly pressed against his abdomen. Though he tried to hide it, I couldn’t help but see that he struggled to contain the bleeding from a wound.

Alarmed, I rushed out of bed and fell to the floor in a desperate attempt to reach Alex. He quickly lunged to prevent my head from hitting the ground, but a loud groan escaped him.

“Oh, God! What happened, Alex?” I cried in distress, placing my hands on his face.

The moment my hands touched his cheeks, I discovered the presence of blood. Slowly, I turned my palms to confirm that the butterfly still rested in my left hand, but now I noticed small cuts on both palms.

Horrified, I recoiled without knowing where to direct my gaze.

“Calm down, please!” Alex pleaded, fighting through the pain to approach me. “You need to be calm. I’ll tell you everything, but you need to calm down.”

With Alex’s help, I rose from the floor and sat on the bed. He sat beside me, taking my hand as if seeking strength to begin recounting what had happened. The urgency in his eyes revealed a story he feared sharing.

In front of the bed, four shelves packed with books stood tall, and to the left of the room, a table held papers and books along with various laboratory utensils. To the right, a large stove burned with a small fire, and next to the window, a shattered mirror laid in pieces.

The heartbreaking scene could only have one explanation.

“Alex, what have I done to you?” I asked, breaking into tears.

“Amelie, please, I don’t want you to feel guilty!” Alex said, trying to calm me. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“Please, tell me the truth!” I demanded, tears streaming down my face. “How much did I hurt you?”

He lowered his head as if trying to buy time to come up with a story, but eventually, he gave in and began to tell me.

“When we entered the cabin and I noticed you weren’t paying attention to anything I was saying, I approached you to see what was happening. With clenched fists, you looked up, and your eyes were red. It seemed like you were about to lose balance, and I tried to hold you, but your hands resisted mine. When I touched you, I felt your skin burning, as if you had a fever. You looked at yourself in the mirror, and it was like you didn’t recognize your own image.”

At that moment, Alex hesitated to continue. He fell silent, and my desperation grew, anticipating what I knew he might tell me next.

“Don’t stop, please,” I begged, sounding almost like a whisper.

“You seemed upset with your own reflection,” Alex continued, avoiding my gaze. “You touched the mirror and quickly shattered it with your left fist. By the time I tried to stop you, the pieces were falling to the floor, and you stabbed one of them into my abdomen. Right there, you closed your eyes and fell onto the shards of broken glass. I thought it was all over. It was terrible, Amelie!”

I couldn’t believe what Alex was telling me. It felt like he was talking about someone else, but the evidence was scattered all over the room and right in front of me.

“It can’t be!” I screamed in total despair. “Why can’t I remember it?”

“You have to calm down, Amelie. We knew this could happen,” he said, trying to calm me while dealing with the pain from his wound.

“I could have killed you, Alex. You have to keep your promise!” I continued shouting, desperate. “Look at what I’m turning into... I don’t want this!”

“Listen to me, please!” he said, approaching, focusing his gaze on mine. “I failed today, but I’ll keep trying. I’ve read several things, I’ll try other methods. We’ll make it! I promise you!”

“Alex, please!” I tried to convey my fear.

“I know!” he interrupted, anticipating my words. “But you have to trust me. I won’t let this happen again,” and he extended bandages for me to help him put them on. “Can you help me?”

“I don’t want to touch you!” I rejected the bandages with determination. “I won’t touch you until it’s safe.”

“Amelie, please, don’t behave like this,” he pleaded, frowning with concern. “None of this is your fault.”

Seeing my reluctance to touch him, he began to struggle with the bandages. Despite the situation, I noticed he was careful not to show too much skin in front of me. However, seeing him struggle with the bandage, the wound, and his clothes urged me not to let him suffer further.

“Alright, let me help you,” I begged, clasping my trembling hands. “I must be brave. I know we can overcome this.”

Suddenly, Alex flashed a smile that lit up the dark room like a radiant sun.

“Do you see? This Amelie will be able to achieve anything she wants in her life,” he said as I proceeded to cover the wound. “I won’t let your fears hold you back anymore. I want you to face them.”

With palpable nervousness, I continued with my task. I was facing Alex’s abdomen for the first time, and despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help but blush at the idea of discovering the firmness of his belly and caressing it with my hands.

I finished the bandaging, and Alex quickly suggested that we should return to school. The early morning was advancing, and we couldn’t risk being discovered. The journey back was long and painful; courage was a choice, but my thoughts of uncertainty about the future continued to haunt me.

We retraced the same path, and I managed to return to my room without major setbacks. Now, I reflect on the transformation I am undergoing. I feel like a battle is raging within me that I might be losing. A world of shadows and horror unfolds before me, and although it might seem like I fear losing my parents or even Alex, my greatest fear is losing myself. To fear losing myself, even without having found myself, is a terrifying thought.